Intervening in Pakistani elections is a losing proposition, CFR Senior Fellow Daniel Markey argues. If pro-American leaders win, they will be tainted by association; if their opponents win, the United States will have alienated potential partners.

This Independent Task Force report assesses U.S. objectives, strategy, and policy options in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It supports a long-term partnership with Pakistan, calls for a new approach to Afghan political reform, reconciliation, and regional diplomacy, and says that a more limited U.S. mission in Afghanistan would be warranted if the present strategy does not show signs of progress. This report is also available in Italian.

The WikiLeaks revelations aren't likely to do lasting damage, but CFR experts say they will make it harder to collaborate with governments such as Pakistan, hurt sensitive relationships, and hinder the open exchanges successful diplomacy requires.

This Independent Task Force report assesses U.S. objectives, strategy, and policy options in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It supports a long-term partnership with Pakistan, calls for a new approach to Afghan political reform, reconciliation, and regional diplomacy, and says that a more limited U.S. mission in Afghanistan would be warranted if the present strategy does not show signs of progress. This report is also available in Italian.

As violence surges in Indian-administered Kashmir, four experts say confidence-building measures between India and Pakistan are the only way to begin solving the territorial dispute.

Pakistan's floods spell setbacks for the U.S. fight against extremism and its war effort in Afghanistan, says CFR's Daniel Markey. He says beyond humanitarian aid relief, Washington must focus on boosting Pakistan's economy through greater trade opportunities.

The WikiLeaks' reports are important because they come at a time of growing public disillusionment about Afghanistan, not because they contain much new information, says CFR's Daniel Markey.

Pakistan's latest moves to exert influence in Afghanistan, including possible brokering of talks with militant Taliban allies, could pose difficulties for U.S. stabilization efforts, says CFR's Daniel Markey.

The new strategic dialogue begun by Pakistan and the United States was notable for the Pakistani delegation's move to shift discussions from U.S. counterterrorism aims to far-reaching Pakistani goals, says CFR's Daniel Markey. The Obama administration was wise to listen while making no rash promises, he says.

India faces the real prospect of another major terrorist attack by Pakistan-based terrorist organizations in the near future, an event that would jeopardize important U.S. security interests in South Asia. This Center for Preventive Action Contingency Planning Memorandum examines the factors that would condition India's response; the consequences of Indian military retaliation and Pakistani counterretaliation for the United States; and Washington's policy options for preventing and containing the crisis.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari is "hanging onto power by the skin of his teeth," writes Daniel Markey.

In his address to the nation on Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama laid out a strategy he says will turn the tides in the faltering Afghan war effort. Five experts analyze his approach.

This module features teaching notes by CFR Senior Fellow Daniel Markey, author of Securing Pakistan's Tribal Belt, along with other resources to supplement the text. In this Council Special Report, Dr. Markey argues that the United States must work with Islamabad to confront security threats in the region and improve governance and economic opportunity in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

Daniel Markey examines the identity, interests, and popular standing of Pakistan's major leaders, particularly with respect to their willingness to cooperate or engage in partnerships with the United States.

Amid the latest spate of attacks in Pakistan, furor over a U.S. aid package shows continuing distrust between Washington and Islamabad. CFR's Daniel Markey and Lisa Curtis of the Heritage Foundation say Pakistan poses a difficult challenge.

Daniel Markey argues that last month's presidential election in Afghanistan provides an opportunity for Washington and its international partners to "press Kabul to organize a second constitutional convention."

Pakistan's interest in the Afghan presidential elections lies in an outcome yielding a legitimate government that brings stability to Afghanistan, says CFR's Dan Markey.

Daniel Markey argues, "U.S. policies in Afghanistan will be determined by trends on the ground... more than by any grand strategic, ideological, or historically informed arguments."

Five South Asia experts assess the importance of solving the Kashmir dispute in relation to U.S. security interests in the region and what policies the Obama administration should pursue.

Daniel Markey discusses the hindrances that prevent India from achieving great-power status.

Beyond the immediate pledges of support that emerged from the U.S.-Afghan-Pakistan summit, President Barack Obama should convey a long-term U.S. commitment to the region to sustain the trust of his partners, says CFR's Daniel Markey.

In this Policy Options Paper, CFR Senior Fellow Daniel Markey argues that a narrow focus on counterterrorism is insufficient to protect U.S. interests in South Asia and advocates a long-term approach that prioritizes engagement with Pakistan.